Monthly Archives: December 2005

There are a lot of things that formed this year and made it unique for me personally, but one of the biggest is something I’ve not really mentioned on here: Mike and I quit our small group back in April. We joined that small group about a month after we got married, and I did […]

It seemed like a companionable silence. We sat together, watching the movie, lost in our own thoughts. Maybe that’s all it was. Maybe the tension was only on my side – the words I wanted to say kept threatening to spill over, but I could never figure out how to introduce the topic, to tell […]

Part one is here. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning . . . One of the nice things about celebrating Advent is that the songs in the services are chosen with care, not just any old Christmas carol. During Advent, we sing Advent songs (of which there are not that many in […]

Our church put out an Advent devotional this year, and today was my day. Hebrews 2:10-18 I once knew a guy who said that every year in the last few days before Christmas, he would read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ last week on earth to remind himself of Christ’s purpose in coming here. I […]

And it’s over for another year. Well, not quite over, because the tree is still up and the decorations are scattered around the house, but there aren’t any more presents to be exchanged, no more church services for a while. It’s been several days since I wrote about anything, so this isn’t a comprehensive list, […]

There are very few things in my life that I’m more insecure about than my glasses. I can’t really explain this to someone who has never worn glasses as thick as mine, but it’s true. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was four years old – thick glasses, the kind that give people permission to […]

I hadn’t gotten a compliment on my diamond ring in a while. Maybe I don’t clean it enough, or maybe I don’t walk in that, “My left elbow is constantly bent so you’ll notice my ring,” position that the newly engaged often sport. Maybe it’s because I’m much less conscious of it than I used […]

I realized last week that the juxtaposition of my thoughts on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and what this year’s Advent theme is teaching me made for an interesting contrast. In my Narnia post, I was lamenting the lack of magic in the movie, especially compared to the book. While I also love […]

The baking is done, we have one more present to buy, and there’s still time to spare! I will still have to figure out how I’m sorting the baked goods, but the baggies and ribbons have been purchased, too. I am feeling very efficient this year. I like this whole “baking for Christmas” thing. Yesterday […]

The past few days I’ve been channeling Elizabeth Bennet and thinking quite often of the quote I used in the title. She was speaking of Jane’s engagement, while the issue I was struggling with had nothing at all to do with romance, but, finally, a great source of frustration seems to have come to an […]

I don’t tend to try to get people to read my favorite books. I figure that the best thing to do is to let the book stand on its own merit, and if you won’t be convinced by the book itself, you certainly aren’t going to be convinced by me. I myself don’t tend to […]

One of the reasons I hate driving Mike’s car is because I can’t get the stupid stereo to do what I want it to do. This morning I didn’t want to listen to my iPod (not that I would have known how to get his car to play my iPod), so I thought I’d turn […]

I hear that the first step is to admit you have a problem. Last night, while Mike was studying, I decided to bake cookies. I baked almost five dozen chocolate chip cookies and made the batter for some cream cheese cookies before deciding I was done. While I was doing that, I had the Pride […]

The setting: a lovely cool December morning. Kari is at home, Mike has already left for the day. MIKE: Hello? KARI: Be careful when you go out the side door. It’s slippery. MIKE: Did you fall? KARI: Yes. MIKE: Are you laughing or crying? KARI: Both? I’m not sure. MIKE: Are you okay? I can’t […]

I have been having a hard time getting into Christmas so far. I mean, I know it’s early, but I was so excited about Christmas music and decorating, and then Thanksgiving came and went, and the wind just went out of my sails. Part of it has been that I’m still not completely recovered from […]

Advent, along with Lent, is a time of preparation. During Lent, we accompany Jesus into the desert; we face the wilderness of our own inner landscape to prepare ourselves for the Easter journey of death and resurrection. During Advent, we go with John into the wilderness to prepare the way to welcome Christ into our […]

I was tapped by Alisa. Seven Things to Do Before I Die (Lord willing): 1. Go back to Prince Edward Island. 2. Attend Mike’s college graduation. Cry a lot. Take lots of pictures. 3. Go to the United Kingdom. 4. Visit the western part of the United States. 5. Read The Brothers Karamazov. 6. Write […]

Last night Mike was talking about purchasing the DVD of Mickey’s Christmas Carol, and I was reminded of a sad, sad story. You see, I have never seen the end of Mickey’s Christmas Carol. I didn’t know it was on every year, but I do remember starting to watch it one evening when it was […]

Last weekend, for the first time, I watched Almost Famous. Checked it out from the library and watched it on VHS, even. And I was disappointed. I mean, it was fine, I didn’t hate it or anything, but I had heard so many great things about it that I was expecting to like it more […]